System and methods for transmitting and distributing media content

ABSTRACT

A technique for post-processing media content on a network by a GPU cloud computing system is provided. The system includes a plurality of computer systems providing a content submission connection for uploading the media content. The system includes a processor configured to receive descriptive information related to the media content via the network, receive the media content via the content submission connection which has a quicker uploading bandwidth than the network, process the media content; and distribute processed media content via the network that is separated from the content submission connection. The system further includes a distributed GPU cloud computing platform to perform parallel post-processing of the media content, and an immersive 3D interface.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a continuation application of a U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 12/567,739, filed Sep. 26, 2009, entitled “Systemand Method for Transmitting and Distributing Media Content”, whichclaims the benefit of the priority of a U.S. provisional application No.61/100,675, filed Sep. 26, 2008, entitled “System and Method for OnlineHigh Definition Video Content Distribution”. The disclosures of theforgoing applications are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties, including any appendices or attachments thereof, for allpurposes.

BACKGROUND

High Definition (HD) video content distribution over a network requiresa high bandwidth for both download and upload. Full HD (1080p) videocontent in a common compression format, such as H.264, has around fivetimes the amount of data of a comparable Standard Definition (SD) videocontent. A video content in 720p (720 horizontal lines, progressivescan) has around 2.5 times the amount of data compared with SD content.Most broadband data communication technologies, such as, for example,DSL or cable, are asymmetric, meaning that the downstream speed ishigher than the upstream speed as seen from a users point of view. Thelimited upstream bandwidth is a critical bottleneck for HD contentdelivery over the internet. Network architectures using optical fiber toreplace all or part of the usual copper local loop used fortelecommunications, such as symmetric fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), providefaster upload speeds, but are expensive and not very widespread.

HD video data may be converted to a different format and/or edited inorder for the video data to be suitable for streaming over the internet.However, processing of HD video data is computing-intensive and may bedifficult for a user to achieve.

The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations relatedtherewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Otherlimitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill inthe art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.

SUMMARY

The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described andillustrated in conjunction with systems, tools, and methods that aremeant to be exemplary and illustrative, not limiting in scope. Invarious embodiments, one or more of the above-described problems havebeen reduced or eliminated, while other embodiments are directed toother improvements.

A technique for distributing high-quality, user-generated highdefinition (HD) video content on the web is presented. A systemaccording to the technique may include a service provider managing auser database, a catalog database, and a media library. The serviceprovider may receive the HD video content from a user through a contentsubmission method.

In a non-limiting example, the content submission method may be mail-in,whereby the HD video content is stored on a portable storage medium andsent to the service provider. The portable storage medium includes, byway of example but not limitation, an optical disk, high capacity memorycard, or portable hard disk. In another example, the content submissionmethod may be a self-service kiosk, whereby the HD video content istransferred to the self-service kiosk. The HD video content is thentransferred from the self-service kiosk to a remote processing center.In yet another example, the submission method may be direct upload,whereby the user uploads the HD video content directly to the remoteprocessing center through a suitable broadband connection.

A method according to the technique receives registration informationfor the HD video content to be shared and receives the HD video contentfrom a user through a content submission method. The HD video contentmay then be processed and transcoded to a streamable format or to aformat suitable for downloading. The submission method may use awireless device-mediated direct upload mechanism, whereas the devicetranscodes the content on-the-fly. In one embodiment, the converted HDvideo content may be uploaded to third-party content delivery networks.

Various content submission methods, such as mail-in, self-service kiosk,and direct-upload, as well as the content presentation and advertisingmethods and systems are presented.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the inventions are illustrated in the figures. However,the embodiments and figures are illustrative rather than limiting; theyprovide examples of the invention.

FIG. 1 depicts an example of a system for content submission using a“Mail-in” content submission method from an HD video acquisition deviceto a service provider's back-end server.

FIG. 2 depicts an example of a system for content submission using a“Self-service kiosk” content submission method from the HD videoacquisition device to the remote processing center.

FIG. 3 depicts an example of a system for content submission using a“Direct upload” content submission method, from the HD video acquisitiondevice to the remote processing center.

FIG. 4 depicts an example of a system for HD video content distributionover a network.

FIG. 5 depicts an example of a flowchart of a method for enabling a userto provide content to the service provider.

FIG. 6 depicts an example of a flowchart of a method for processing theHD video content at the service provider.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, several specific details are presented toprovide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. Oneskilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the inventioncan be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or incombination with other components, etc. In other instances, well-knownimplementations or operations are not shown or described in detail toavoid obscuring aspects of various embodiments, of the invention.

The approach described herein for post-processing and uploading largefile-size video contents to a network burdened by heterogeneousbandwidth constraints, for subsequent sharing and related consumeradvertising purposes, is applicable to any type of large data filepost-processing and uploading application, such as applicationsinvolving the large datasets typically generated in the medical imagingfield (video endoscopy, high-field and real-time magnetic resonanceimaging etc); and in connection with various methods of monetization(such as pay-per-use, subscription, advertising-supported).

The approach is (without limitation) particularly well suited fordistributing media-rich contents, such as high definition video files,on the internet. Throughout the disclosure, the term “media content”broadly refers to information or data that can be transmitted, stored,and/or distributed via various types of medium, such as the internet,television, audio/video CDs, films, cassettes, etc. In certainembodiments, media content may be stored in analog or digital formats.The invention may be implemented in computer software, or in hardwarecircuitry, or any combination of software and hardware components and isnot limited to any specific software or hardware implementation.

Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the followingdiscussion, it is appreciated that throughout the description,discussions utilizing terms such as “transferring”, “transmitting”,“distributing”, “copying” or “moving” or the like, refer to the actionof creating a copy of data (such as a file or folder), residing on afirst medium, onto a second medium via a certain content submissionmethod. The data may remain on the first medium or may be erased fromthe first medium upon completion of the action of creating a copy on thesecond medium. For example, media content stored on a first computingdevice may be transferred and saved to a second computing device via anetwork connection. Alternatively, a legacy video cassette containing avideo clip may be physically transferred to a processing center, withits video clip being digitized and copied to a DVD. The term “contentsubmission method” broadly refers to a mechanism or an operation totransfer the media content from one place to another. For example, acontent submission method may allow media content to be transmittedelectronically via a network connection, or be physically delivered to adestination for further processing.

In one embodiment, a user may create an account with a service provider.The service provider may request personal information about the user,for instance, the user name, password, e-mail address, transactionprocessing information (for e-commerce, such as a physical/shippingaddress, mobile phone number, payment details), terms-of-serviceagreement with the service provider, or other information related to theuser, or any combination thereof. Alternatively, the user account can besystematically or automatically created based on a user informationdatabase.

A user may register content with the service provider and send thecontent to the service provider. Upon registration of the content, theuser may access progress information related to the progress of thecontent (e.g.: receipt confirmation, processing progress, availabilityfor distribution) being transferred to or being processed on the serviceprovider. In one embodiment, the progress information may be accessedfrom different locations. The progress information may be automaticallytransferred to the users computer. The progress information mayadditionally, or instead, be stored on a server of the service provider,and a user may log into their account from an internet ready device andaccess the progress information and/or personal information.

In one embodiment, a user may be able to access their account (to whichthey previously signed up with the service provider), including anypreference information, from more than one computing device. The usermay have created the account, for example, on a home computer, and canaccess the account from a different device connected to the internet,such as, for example, a computer at an internet café, or from aself-service kiosk, as described later. The user may also change thepersonal information from any such device.

In one embodiment, a user transfers content through one of the varioussubmission methods. Upon receiving the content, the service provider mayprocess and/or edit the content, depending on the users preferenceinformation. The preference information may have been provided to theservice provider during account registration and/or during contentregistration. In a non-limiting example, the service provider mayperform quality assurance of the content, thereby eliminating poorcontent and detecting copyright infringement.

In one embodiment, the service provider may distribute the content afterthe content has been processed and/or edited. Distribution may beavailable to the user that submitted the original content, or to otherusers connected to the service provider, or to both. Access to thecontent may also be restricted to certain users. The service providermay notify a user that the content is ready for distribution, make anentry in a catalog database about the content, update a user database toreflect that the content is ready for distribution, and store thecontent on a server of the service provider. Users may search thecatalog database for rendered contents and download or stream contents,provided they have sufficient privileges. A content provider (e.g.: theuser that registered the content and submitted it to the serviceprovider) may choose to restrict access to the content, submitted by thecontent provider, before the content is made available (for example,during registration of the content), or may do so at any point after thecontent has been submitted (such as by updating content registrationinformation by accessing the user database).

In one embodiment, after submitting the content to the service provider,the user is notified by the service provider; for instance, through ane-mail or text message sent to the user's mobile phone or smartphone (aphone with wireless internet access and PC-type features) when theuser's content (such as HD video) is uploaded and available for viewing.In the example of the smartphone, such a notification mechanism may beimplemented independently, or together with a separate softwareapplication available for downloading to the smartphone. In the latterimplementation, the software application on the smartphone may forinstance, allow the user to receive the notification, preview thecontent on the smartphone, and in turn notify other users (e.g., friendsand associates) who utilize the smartphone application, that the contentis available. Further, the notification mechanism may include metadata,such as location metadata (e.g., the location where the HD video hasbeen recorded). Such location metadata, also called a geotag, may thenbe used to display the location information on a map, or for otherpurposes. Further, such a smartphone application may be distributed fora fee, or supported by an advertisement displayed on the smartphoneapplication, or by other means of monetization.

The content described in this disclosure may be any large-size data,such as media-rich content. By way of example but not limitation, thecontent may be high definition video, high-resolution photos, ormulti-channel surround sound recordings. In a non limiting example, thesystems and methods described herein may be directed to delivery offiles to the remote processing center of the service provider forsubsequent generation/rendering of computer-generated animated movies inthe entertainment industry, or of user-generated animated movies,submission of next-generation MRI scans for off-site teleradiologists toview the scans with a 3D immersive interface, submission of High-fieldMRI phenotype data for subsequent computer-aided diagnosis off-site,with or without utilizing DNA profile data. The content may be processedusing a cloud computing architecture at the service provider.

FIG. 1 depicts an example of a system for content submission using a“Mail-in” content submission method from an HD video acquisition deviceto a service provider's back-end server. The content submission system100 includes HD acquisition device 102, device storage 104, clientcomputer 106, content submission repository 108, web interface 110,portable storage 112, service provider 114, user database 116, catalogdatabase 118, and media library 120. Further, the “Mail-in” contentsubmission method 140 may be used to transmit the media content storedin the device storage 104 or the content submission repository 108 tothe service provider 114, while information related to the media contentmay be transmitted separately to the service provider via a“Web-interface” submission method 130.

HD acquisition device 102 may be any device capable of recording videoin a high definition, such as, in a non-limiting example, a camcorder oran HD capable mobile phone. Device storage 104 may be any storage mediumonto which video recorded by HD acquisition device 102 may be stored.Device storage 104 may be integrated memory (built into HD acquisitiondevice 102) or removable memory, such as a non-volatile high capacitymemory card that can be removed from HD acquisition device 102.Alternatively, the device 102 may be an audio or video capturing devicethat stores the captured media in an analog format. For example, thedevice 102 can be a legacy video recorder which records and storesvideos or images on a tape storage 104 (e.g., VHS tapes, etc).

Client computer 106 may be a general purpose computing device, such as adesktop, laptop, or smartphone, or any other computing device that canextract media content from the storage 104 of the device 102. In oneembodiment, the computer 106 may be integrated into the mediaacquisition device 102, such as a smartphone with access to theinternet. The computer 106 may also be a special-purpose computingdevice to acquire, store and transmit media content. For example, thecomputer 106 may contain 2-D or 3-D graphic authoring, rendering, andediting hardware/software to produce artificial media content such ascartoons or animations. The media content created on the computer 106 oracquired via device 102 may be stored and managed by a media contentsubmission repository 108, which may be implemented based on a filefolder, a directory, or a database management. In one embodiment, thecontent submission repository 108 may also be physically implementedwith hard drives, memory, flash memory, or the combination thereof.

In the example of FIG. 1, an HD video content may be transferred from HDvideo acquisition device 102 to client computer 106. The HD videocontent may be transferred through a direct cable connection betweenclient computer 106 and HD video acquisition device 102, such as a USB®or FIREWIRE® connection, through a wireless connection, such as Wi-Fi orBLUETOOTH®, or through indirect connection, such as by removing devicestorage 104, connecting device storage 104 to client computer 106, andtransferring or copying data contained on storage device 104 to clientcomputer 106. The HD video contents may then be stored in the contentsubmission repository 108.

In one embodiment, the client computer 106 may transfer media contentstored in the repository 108 to a service provider 114 for furtherprocessing. The service provider 114 may be implemented as a mediaprocessing and distributing server, and may include user database 116,catalog database 118, and media library 120, etc. Service provider 114may further include means for receiving portable storage medium 112 andtransfer the content stored on portable storage medium 112 onto theserver. Additionally, a web interface 110 may be used, for example, toregister the HD video content with service provider 114, so that thecontent registration information can be properly recorded. In oneembodiment, service provider 114 is configured to enable users to searchfor available HD video content based on the content registrationinformation. Service provider 114 may provide a data-driven websiteinvolving server components, such as user database 116 and catalogdatabase 118.

In a non-limiting example, portable storage medium 112 may be anywritable or rewritable medium, such as CD-R/RW, DVD R/RW, Blu-ray discrecordable (BD-R/RE), non-volatile memory (e.g.: Flash memory), solidstate drive (SSD), or magnetic medium (e.g.: portable hard drive).Portable storage medium 112 is configured to contain HD video content orother media content. Portable storage medium 112 may additionallycontain other data useful to the service provider, as will be explainedlater.

In one embodiment, content submission repository 108, including the HDvideo content, may be transferred to portable storage 112. This step maybe performed by copying and pasting (such as drag-and-drop) the contentsubmission repository 108, including the HD video content, from clientcomputer 106 to portable storage medium 112, or may be performed using adedicated software application. This application may also assist theuser in tagging content submission repository 108.

In one embodiment, a user may record the HD video content with thedevice 102 and then register the recorded media content at the serviceprovider 114 through a submission method 130. The user may then use adifferent computing device to put the HD video content on a portablestorage medium 112. Further, the user may use a different submissionmethod 140 to mail-in the device storage 104 or the portable storage112, which contains the HD video content, to the service provider 114.Upon receiving the storage 104 or 112, service provider 114 may extractthe media content from the storage and match the media content with thecontent registration information, by using, for example the users name,account number, or any other information enabling service provider 114to tie the HD video content to the content registration information.

In the example of FIG. 1, registration information received through webinterface 110 may be stored in user database 116. Upon receivingportable storage medium 112, service provider 114 may match contentsubmission repository 108, including HD video content, with registrationinformation received through web interface 110. In one embodiment,catalog database 118 holds catalog entries of HD video contentsavailable through service provider 114. Full-resolution original and/orprocessed/edited versions of the HD video content may be stored in medialibrary 120.

In one embodiment, the submission method 130 and the submission method140 are two separate information transmitting mechanisms for submittingdata to the service provider 114. For example, the submission method 130may be a conventional network connection provided by an Internet ServiceProvider (ISP) for accessing the Internet. In a typical configuration,the upload speed of the submission method 130 may be limited fortransmitting data to the service provider 114. In other words, thesubmission method 130 may utilize network that exhibits a heterogeneousbandwidth constraint, in which the upstream (uploading) bandwidth islower than the downstream (downloading) bandwidth. On the other hand,the media contents for HD video often require a large amount of storage,and take longer time for data transferring. If transmitted via thesubmission method 130, the media contents may take a long period of timefor uploading to the service provider 114. Further, long period ofuploading may be easily interrupted by network glitches, or berestricted by the ISP. Thus, an alternative submission method, e.g.,submission method 140, may be necessary to bypass the submission method130 for uploading a large amount of data to the service provider 114.

In one embodiment, a submission method 140, which is separated from andbypasses the submission method 130, may shorten the uploading time, andgreatly improve the reliability in transmitting a large amount of HDvideo content to the service provider 114. Thus, the submission method130 and the submission method 140 may not share their respectivecommunication paths with each other. In one embodiment, the submissionmethod 130 has no access to the submission method 140 for datacommunication. During operation, the delivery of the portable storagemedium 112, which contains the large media content data, may be sent tothe service provider via postal service, courier service, drop-off atand collection from a retail store, or any means for sending thephysical medium to service provider 114. Once the service provider 114receives the portable storage medium 112 via submission method 140, itmay extract information from the storage medium 112 and compare theinformation with the content information received from submission method130 for content matching and upload progress monitoring purposes.

In one embodiment, the video acquisition device 102, the client computer106, and/or the service provider 114 may utilize processor and memoryfor implementations. The processor may include central processing units(CPUs) to execute software or firmware stored in a memory. Theprocessor(s) may be, or may include, one or more programmablegeneral-purpose or special-purpose microprocessors, digital signalprocessors (DSPs), programmable controllers, application specificintegrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), or thelike, or a combination of such devices. The memory represents any formof random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory (asdiscussed above), or the like, or a combination of such devices. In use,the memory may contain, among other things, a set of machineinstructions which, when executed by processor, causing the processor toperform operations to implement embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts an example of a system for content submission using a“Self-service kiosk” content submission method from the HD videoacquisition device to the remote processing center. The contentsubmission system 200 includes HD acquisition device 202, device storage204, self-service kiosk 206, content submission repository 208, computerterminal 210, fast network 212, service provider 214, user database 216,catalog database 218, and media library 220.

In the example of FIG. 2, the content submission method is through aself-service kiosk 206. HD video content may be transferred from HDvideo acquisition device 202 by inserting device storage 204 intoself-service kiosk 206, by means of wireless transmission from HD videoacquisition device 202 to self-service kiosk 206, or by insertingportable storage 112, including HD video content, into self-servicekiosk 206. Content submission repository 208, as described above withreference to FIG. 1, may be created prior to, during, or aftersubmission of the HD video content to self-service kiosk 206.

In one embodiment, the self-service kiosk 206 may be directly connectedwith the remote processing center 214 via a fast network 212. The fastnetwork 212 may have dedicated and high speed network connection thatallows a large amount of data to be fast and directly transmitted to theprocessing center 214. Further, this submission method, which is basedon multiple kiosks 206 strategically located at various convenientlocations for uploading media content, allow HD video contents to bequickly and conveniently uploaded without relying on other submissionmethods that have limited network bandwidth. Thus, the self-servicekiosk 206 and the fast network 212 provide a submission method thatbypasses and is separated from the conventional content uploadingmechanisms.

In the example of FIG. 2, computer terminal 210 provides means for auser to register the HD video content with service provider 214, and mayenable the user to select presentation, processing, and/or editing ofthe HD video content by service provider 214. HD acquisition device 202,device storage 204, content submission repository 208, service provider214, user database 216, catalog database 218, and media library 220 havesimilar functions to corresponding components as described above withreference to FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts an example of a system for content submission using a“Direct upload” content submission method, from the HD video acquisitiondevice to the remote processing center/service provider. The contentsubmission system 300 includes HD video content 302, client computer306, wireless mesh network 308, web interface 310, wireless media router312, service provider 314, user database 316, catalog database 318, andmedia library 320. Wireless mesh networks are networks consisting of aplurality of wireless nodes, where the data hops from one node to thenext, until reaching a suitable broadband internet connection such as afiber-optic network link (also called portal point). In addition, thewireless mesh network bypasses the conventional network connectionprovided by ISP, and may in one embodiment, serve as a fast and reliablemedia content submission method in delivering the HD video contents tothe service provider 314.

In one embodiment, the wireless mesh network may be implemented usingthe emerging 802.11s standard which is based on 802.11 (Wi-Fi). 802.11swireless mesh network devices implement technology that addresses suchproblems like throughput degradation, congestion, security and otherfunctions. In another embodiment, the wireless mesh network devices mayutilize “White Spaces”. The Federal Communication Commission's (FCC)recent decision to approve new uses of a range of underused and, as aresult of the switch to digital TV newly vacated frequencies between 512and 698 Mhz, will make these so-called “White Spaces” the naturalsuccessor to Wi-Fi, due to its wider range and lower latencycommunication capabilities, and better penetration capabilities of thelower-frequency RF signals used.

In the example of FIG. 3, HD video content 302 may be directly uploadedfrom client computer 306 to service provider 314 through wireless meshnetwork 308. Wireless media router 312 may contain a System-on-a-chip(SoC) media processor, configured for on-the-fly conversion(transcoding) of the original full-resolution HD video content 302 intoformats for different applications (e.g.: streaming, downloading). Suchtranscoding reduces the file size, so it can be more efficientlytransferred. Transcoding may furthermore, be implemented using ahigh-end GPU (graphics processing unit) based video card residing in themedia router device.

In the example of FIG. 3, wireless media router 312 may include clientsoftware, allowing the media router to download HD video content over awireless mesh network, or via a suitable broadband connection. Inanother embodiment of the invention, the media router may incorporatefile transfer optimization software for fast network file transfer. Bothupload and download of HD video content over wireless mesh network 308are independent of the user's internet service provider (such as cableor DSL ISP) and related data transfer limits. The media router devicemay be set up at the user's home location as part of the wireless homenetwork. In one embodiment, HD video content 302 may be transferred toservice provider 314 using a fast broadband connection, such as, in anon-limiting example, a fiber-optic network. It is foreseeable that themedia router device described above can be implemented in a very compactway, such as a chip set on a circuit board. This will allow the deviceto be easily integrated with other devices such as those prevalent inthe “digital living room”, for example, HDTV sets, gaming consoles,set-top boxes, but also mobile devices such as laptop computers,hand-held mobile devices such as smart phones, etc.

FIG. 4 depicts an example of a system for HD video content distributionusing a Mesh network for HD video downloading and distributing.Distribution system 400 includes HD video content 402, client computer406, wireless mesh network 408, immersive 3D web interface 410, wirelessmedia router 412, service provider 414, media servers 420, contentdelivery network for streaming 422, content delivery network fordownloading 424, and GPU compute cloud 426 for performing media contentpost-processing.

In the example of FIG. 4, immersive 3D web interface 410 is a rich mediainterface that allows the HD media content to be displayed along withadvertisements, news, and other commercial information in annon-intrusive way. Immersive 3D web interface 410 may be provided onhigh definition capable display devices configured to be connected tothe internet. These display devices may be next-generation widescreen,high-definition displays, such as general purpose computers or HDTV setsconnected to the internet. In a non-limiting example, immersive 3D webinterface 410 may run in an internet browser window or as a separateapplication. Immersive 3D web interface 410 may provide agraphics-intensive presentation of content, such as, for example, in a3D virtual world.

Immersive 3D web interface 410 may provide search capabilities for auser to search for HD video contents available from service provider414. A search may be performed by means such as a search box (for searchterms) or through a content recommendation system such as a rankingengine or a content discovery engine driven by collaborative user input.

HD video content 402 may be presented in immersive 3D web interface 410,along with related content (e.g.: user blog articles, links), and/oradvertisement. The video content may be streamed (such as for preview)and/or selected for download. Immersive 3D web interface 410 may providecustomization of presentation of HD video content 402. For example,customization may enable a user to view the content as a plain 3D videowall, or a more virtual-world/game like environment with more elementsfor multi-user interaction. A given 3D scene may be utilized as atemplate for content presentation, eliminating the need forcomputing-intensive rendering (rendering-on-the-fly).

Immersive 3D web interface may enable advertisement to be presentedcontextually in a non-obtrusive manner along with HD video content 402.In a non-limiting example, advertisement may be inserted into a 3D sceneon-the-fly, without requiring HD video content 402 and the advertisementto be re-rendered into a 3D scene. The advertisement may be presented inthe form of a virtual billboard. Alternatively, the advertisement may berendered and displayed surrounding, or along the side of the HD videoscreen in an immersive 3D interface. In one embodiment, common webtechnologies, such as AJAX or LAMP stack, may be used to build the typeof rich, dynamic user experience desired by consumers, such as webinterface 110, as described above with reference to FIG. 1.

Large file size multimedia data, such as HD video content 402, may bestored in and managed by media server 420. The media library stored inmedia servers 420 can be searched and media library content may beaccessed by users. Access to parts or all of the media library may berestricted to only users with appropriate permissions. In oneembodiment, a software- and/or hardware-based user access control forsome media assets in the media library is provided, while other mediaassets in the library are freely accessible and can be syndicated toother web sites and services through the service provider's webapplication programming interface (API), or web content syndicationmethods such as Media RSS (MRSS), or by other means. In anotherembodiment, the data center of service provider 414 is operated in aclosed environment, resides in a physically separated facility, withspecial physical and software- and hardware-based security mechanismsimplemented.

In one embodiment, a massively-parallel, distributed computingarchitecture may be used for post-processing of media content uploadedto the service provider 414. Post-processing may involve videotranscoding, editing, enhancement, and other special-purposeapplications (computer-aided diagnosis, image reconstruction).Post-processing may not only involve processing individual data filesindependently (such as in video transcoding), but also processingsubsets of, or the entire media library, such as in video search anddata mining applications. Transcoding algorithms may be parallelized anddistributed on a multitude of cores or processors. The post-processingtask at hand, such as the transcoding algorithm, may be parallelized,meaning that it can be distributed on several or many computing cores(or processors). Those cores typically reside in one machine orcomputer, thus forming a computing node. The number of cores orprocessors per node in general-purpose hardware typically ranges fromseveral CPU cores (such as eight, a so-called octocore in amulti-processor PC, or in a gaming console) to several hundred GPU(graphics processing units in high-end graphics cards) streamingprocessors. Deployment of post-processing tasks to the GPU may utilizespecial software development tools for the GPU platform, such as CUDAand OpenCL.

One embodiment of the invention utilizes a large number ofinterconnected nodes that in turn encompass a multitude of GPUs(hundreds or even thousands, or more streaming processors) to work intandem as a GPU compute cloud 426 residing in the service provider'sdata center 414, and networked with media servers 420. The cloudcomputing architecture employed in the embodiment of the inventionallows customers, such as corporate customers from the entertainmentindustry, to access the services provided by the data center 414 (ormany thereof), such as transcoding of HD video content 402 to astreamable format, on a per-use basis, and without burdening thecustomer with technical or infrastructure issues. The embodimentincludes a mechanism for metering usage, as well as providing aconsistent level of service as demand grows. The consistent level ofservice may be implemented by utilizing clustering and/or virtualizationtechnologies.

In the example of FIG. 4, HD video content 402 may be transferred frommedia servers 420 to certain third-party content delivery networks(CDNs), via a high-bandwidth fiber-optic network link, from where theycan be further distributed for downloading 424 or direct streaming 422purposes. In the example of FIG. 4, CDN 424 may transfer HD videocontent 402 to client computer 406 via wireless mesh network 408.Wireless media router 412 may be used as described above with referenceto FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the data submission method described abovefor submitting media content is separated from, and cannot access theCDN 422 and/or CDN 424. Thus, by using different data submission methodsand data distribution mechanisms, a large amount of media content can beefficiently uploaded and distributed, without being restricted by thelimited upstream bandwidth provided by common ISPs.

In one embodiment, immersive 3D web interface 410 may be implementedusing client and server components, such as OpenSimulator (OpenSim) andlibsecondlife. OpenSim is an open source server implementation forhosting virtual worlds, which may be utilized for streaming video into a3D scene. OpenSim uses libsecondlife to connect to a third-party clientapplication, which in turn displays the immersive 3D environment.However, other 3D engines may be used as well to build such immersive 3Dweb interface 410.

In another embodiment, immersive 3D web interface 410 may be implementedby means of hardware bridging of a PC interface (e.g., DVI or PCIe) overinternet protocol (IP). In this implementation, the entire rich mediainterface (not only certain rich media components) is transmitted overthe network, directly from the service provider 414. No applicationsoftware needs to be downloaded by the user to display the content ontoa high-definition capable display device (e.g., HDTV set). However, thedisplay device needs to be equipped with a special hardware circuitrycomponent that supports hardware bridging over IP. In yet anotherembodiment, desktop virtualization software may be utilized to transmitthe immersive 3D web interface 410 over the network, directly from theservice provider 414. In this embodiment, client application software,but no special hardware circuitry component is needed to display thecontent onto the HD capable display device.

In one embodiment, immersive 3D web interface, may be implemented in away that it can be controlled with a multi-touch (i.e., driven by morethan one finger) interaction device, such as a multi-touch sensitivescreen or controller device (e.g., multi-touch remote control).

FIG. 5 depicts a flowchart 500 of a method for enabling a user toprovide content to the service provider. This method and other methodsare depicted as serially arranged modules. However, modules of themethods may be reordered, or arranged for parallel execution asappropriate.

In the example of FIG. 5, the flowchart begins at module 502 withcreating a user account/signing in. If a user account has already beenset up by a user, the user can sign in to use the services provided bythe service provider as described with reference to FIG. 1. If no useraccount has been created, input of certain personal information from theuser is required. This information may include the following: user name,password, e-mail address, transaction processing information (fore-commerce, such as physical/shipping address, mobile phone number,payment details), terms-of-service agreement with a service provider, orany combination thereof.

In the example of FIG. 5, the flowchart continues to module 504 withregistering content with a service provider. The service provider mayrequest content information about the HD video content to bedistributed. Content information may include: identification of files,metadata, content description and genre, user's own ranking of top fivemovies in submission batch to be featured in user blog, contentsubmission method method/media type used. In one embodiment, the usermay complete content submission manifest. A tracking number (airway billnumber) and e-airway bill may be generated. The user may print theairway bill (if mail-in method is chosen as a content submission method,as described with reference to FIG. 1). The user may tag the contentsubmission repository (as described with reference to FIG. 1) withairway bill number and include e-airway bill (manifest).

In one embodiment, the user may select available free or paid-forcontent presentation/design templates, such as video rendering templateswith various options, transitions, and special effects. The user mayinput and preview customized information for selected template, such astitle, font, color, and credits. In one embodiment, the user may selectone or more CDNs, as described with reference to FIG. 4, for contentdistribution, such as streaming or download.

In one embodiment, the user may order additional items such as returnDVD/Blu-ray disc (BD), or personalized discs shipped to friends andfamily. These discs may contain a processed and/or edited version of theHD video content sent by the user to the service provider.

In the example of FIG. 5, the flowchart continues to module 506 withsubmitting content to service provider. The tagged content submissionrepository may be shipped or otherwise transferred to the serviceprovider, depending on the content submission method (mail-in ofportable storage media, self service kiosk, or direct upload). In oneembodiment, the content registration information submitted by module 504may be transmitted via a first submission method that is separate anddifferent from the second submission method utilized by module 506 insubmitting the media content. As described above, the various approachesutilized by the second content submission method allow HD video contentsto be quickly uploaded to the service provider, bypassing the firstsubmission method which has limited upload bandwidth.

FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart 600 of a method for processing the HD videocontent at the service provider. This method and other methods aredepicted as serially arranged modules. However, modules of the methodsmay be reordered, or arranged for parallel execution as appropriate.

In the example of FIG. 6, the flowchart begins with module 602 withreceiving and storing information related to HD video content. Theinformation may include: identification of files, metadata, contentdescription and genre, user's own ranking of top five movies insubmission batch to be featured in user blog, content submission methodmethod/media type used, or manifest, or any combination thereof, asdescribed in reference to FIG. 5.

In the example of FIG. 6, the flowchart continues to module 604 withreceiving HD video content. The content may be received through one ofmany content submission methods. These may include, but are not limitedto, mail-in, self-service kiosk, or direct upload. In one embodiment,the content submission methods of the module 604 are separated from andbypassing the content submission method of the module 602.

In the example of FIG. 6, the flowchart continues to module 606 withmatching HD video content with stored information. The service providermay match the tag (airway bill number) and manifest (airway bill) withinformation stored on the server.

In one embodiment, an initial Quality Assurance (QA) may be performed onthe HD video content. Upon successful completion of the initial QA, theservice provider may auto-generate/update a catalog entry of a catalogdatabase on the service provider's server. Such initial qualityassurance ensures that the media content received by the serviceprovider can be further processed. Further, upon a determination thatthe uploaded media content has a quality that is below a pre-determinedthreshold, the service provider may restrict the further distributing ofthe convent, or request the defective media content to be re-submitted.The quality threshold may be determined based on a set of pre-determinedcriteria. For example, the service provider may determine that the mediacontent is not in the correct format, below the requisite resolution, orhas insufficient quality, etc.

In the example of FIG. 6, the flowchart continues to module 608 withpost-processing the HD video content. The content may also be edited. Auser-selected template may be applied to video content for editing. Afull-length, full-resolution HD copy may be stored in a media library onthe service provider's server. Transcoding may be performed on the HDvideo content to change the content to a format suitable fordownloading/streaming. For streaming the content may be converted to acompressed streaming video format, such as Flash video. In oneembodiment, in-video advertisement may be inserted into the HD videocontent. In one embodiment, a low-resolution copy for other purposessuch as an internal and external review (QA) may be generated. This steprequires conversion of full-resolution HD video to lower resolution.

In one embodiment, editorial review steps are performed during QA forelimination of poor or unsuitable content (e.g., content deemedunsuitable for viewing, etc), flagging with editor's rating and updatesof the catalog. QA may use third-party reference data and services, forinstance, to detect audio and video signatures that may indicatecopyright infringement. Thus, once the QA detects that the media contentcontaining copyright protected information, and the service provider mayrestrict the further access of such media content until the copyrightownership is ascertained.

In the example of FIG. 6, the flowchart continues to module 610 withmaking the content available for streaming/downloading. The content mayhave been transcoded to convert the original file to a more suitableformat. The content may be available to everyone or may be restricted tousers with the right permissions. QA-passed HD video content may beuploaded to user-selected content delivery networks (CDNs) for streamingor download purposes. The media library, catalog information (such asmetadata including uniform resource locator, or URL) may be updated foronline content sharing. Further, advertisement information may beinserted into the media content during the distribution. Theadvertisement may either be inserted during the post-processing atmodule 608, or be added during the distribution process at module 610.

It will be appreciated to those skilled in the art that the precedingexamples and embodiments are exemplary and not limiting to the scope ofthe present disclosure. It is intended that all permutations,enhancements, equivalents, and improvements thereto that are apparent tothose skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a studyof the drawings are included within the true spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure. It is therefore intended that the following appendedclaims include all such modifications, permutations and equivalents asfall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A GPU cloud computing system forpostprocessing media content on a network, the system comprising: aplurality of computer systems providing a content submission connectionfor uploading the media content; and a processor coupled with each ofthe plurality of the computer systems, wherein the processor isconfigured to receive, from a client computer, descriptive informationrelated to the media content via the network, receive, from the clientcomputer, the media content via the content submission connection whichhas a quicker uploading bandwidth than the network, process the mediacontent; and distribute processed media content via the network that isseparated from the content submission connection; a virtualized GPUcloud computing platform coupled with the processor, wherein thevirtualized GPU cloud computing platform contains a GPU compute cloudincluding a plurality of interconnected computers each of which havingmultiple GPUs working in tandem, the plurality of interconnectedcomputers are configured to perform parallel postprocessing of the mediacontent, and the virtualized GPU cloud computing platform is configuredto meter usage and provide consistent level of service based on demandgrowth; and an immersive 3D interface coupled with the processor;wherein the immersive 3D interface allows the media content to bepresented, searched or shared via the network.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the post-processing of the media content is rendering ofcomputer-generated animated movies.
 3. The system of claim 1, whereinthe immersive 3D interface is a 3D virtual world generated bypost-processing of the media content using the virtualized GPU cloudcomputing platform.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the immersive 3Dinterface is transmitted over the network.
 5. The system of claim 1,wherein the immersive 3D interface is controlled by a multi-touchinteraction device.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the searching is avideo search by post-processing the media content stored in the system.7. The system of claim 1, wherein the searching is data mining bypost-processing the media content stored in the system.
 8. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the media content is DNA data.
 9. The system of claim1, wherein the media content is medical imaging data.
 10. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the post-processing task is image reconstruction. 11.The system of claim 1, wherein the post-processing task iscomputer-aided diagnosis.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein thecomputer-aided diagnosis is on high-field magnetic resonance imagingphenotype data.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein the computer-aideddiagnosis further utilizes DNA profile data.